Dattebayo
by dattebayo1213
Summary: Naruto has finally realized his feelings for Hinata, and he is being trained by Tsunade to succeed her as the Rokudaime. But wait! Sasuke is coming back? And peacefully! This is my very first fanfiction ever.Please R&R.Pairings: Naru x Hina,slight KonoHan
1. Talk To Me

Talk to Me

[Dattebayo: Chapter 1]

Important Note: In this story, the Konoha 12 is all 15 or 16. Naruto and Hinata are going out. For those who are worried once they read the third paragraph, no, Hinata did not break in... She has keys.

FLASHBACK:

I got up off the ground and brushed the dirt off my clothes. Blood was dripping sluggishly from the corner of my mouth and I was breathing heavily. Sasuke was smirking at me. "See? You'll never beat me, fox boy." he said.

"No! I'll beat you." I yelled defiantly and stood on trembling legs. He pushed me back down.

"Some Hokage you're going to make, fox boy. You can't even beat me. Now you're going to go crying home to your mama. Oh yeah... You don't have a mama. You've lived alone and you'll die alone at MY HANDS!" Sasuke said, still wearing that condescending smirk of his, and walked away.

"Hey, Naruto are you alright?" Sakura asked, waving her hand in front of my face. "Yeah...I guess I'm fine." I said, happily, with my hands behind my head. "I'll manage."

"It was another Sasuke nightmare, right?" Sakura asked. I nodded.

TWO AND A HALF HOURS LATER:

I fumbled through my pockets for the right keys. I was standing outside my apartment in the rain, quite drenched, when I found the right keys. I walked in and suddenly realized that it was much cleaner in here and that the room was already warm. A cup of pork ramen was lying on the table, still warm. Hinata had left a note on the table explaining the stuff and asking if we could meet on Saturday, my birthday. I smiled. I loved that girl. She did everything just right.

THE FOLLOWING SATURDAY:

**Hinata's POV:**

I was really excited. I ran about my room, busily preparing for when Naruto would come to get me. He knocked at the door at exactly 7:30. He is always so punctual when it comes to me. I was amazed when I saw him. He wasn't wearing his normal orange jumpsuit. He had actually worn a nice white shirt and jeans with a black leather jacket.

"Oh... It's the clothes, right?" he asked. I nodded. "Ino and Sakura gave me a "makeover." I laughed out loud, thinking of him sitting with Ino and Sakura discussing clothes. "Oh my god, Naruto, you really did that? You actually did that?" I asked. "Well... they made me. I was just going to come in my normal clothes."

He stuffed his hands awkwardly into his pockets and said, "So...we're going to my house, right?"

I nodded and he held out his hand. I took it in mine and we walked on down the street toward his apartment.

He opened the door and led me inside. "I want to show you something." he said. He took me to a small room, light blue, with framed pictures on the wall of a small blonde baby in a red-haired woman's arms. Her wan face looked drawn in contrast to the smiling, vibrant face in her arms. "Is that you?" I asked.

"Ok… You know today is my 16th birthday right? Well, 16 years ago was a horrible night. You know what happened…" he trailed off.

"I knew that the Kyuubi attacked…my mother was injured." I said.

'Well, the Kyuubi was sealed into a little boy, who was born that day and his mother didn't like it. She went missing two months later when she went on a mission. His father…no one really knew about him. His mother never told. The boy built up a goal for his life: to be recognized. After 5 years, he was playing in the playground and a small blue haired girl walked up to him with a jump rope asked him to help her spin it for her little sister. He played with the children and came to the girl's house a couple times to play, but when the elders of her clan found out. They forbid him to set foot on the clan's property, but ten years later, he did. No one liked him except that little girl, who by now had developed quite a crush on the boy. He not only knew; he liked her back, too! He even chased after another girl, who he thought was a total weirdo to throw the elders off his case! Have you guessed who this boy is?"

"Na…Naruto-kun? Was it you? Is that why you have the scars on your cheeks?" I asked.

He nodded sadly and traced the whisker-like marks on his cheeks, "I wish these infernal things would go away, even if just for one day."

"They're part of who you are, and I never want that to go away…" I said and snuggled into his warm embrace.

I wish we could stay like this forever.


	2. Our Mission

CHAPTER TWO: **Mission: Operation Tell Them Part 1**

A/N: Okay, so Hinata knows about the Kyuubi, but Naruto hasn't told anyone else, so they've got that on their hands and dear Sasuke-kun's coming back sometime down the line, with psychologically scarring experiences to recount…now for the disclaimer…

Author: Hey! Naruto! Can you do the disclaimer? I'll pay you in ramen!

Naruto: Miso with chashu?

Author: I'm vegetarian… I'll get you a 'Hot n Spicy'!

Naruto: DEAL!! OK, the author of this story doesn't own me…that Kishimoto and (if my plans go right) Hinata own me… Wait! Did I say Hinata? I didn't mean it!!!! PLEASE SOMEONE SAVE ME!!!

Author: (awkwardly patting Naruto's back) People know you like Hinata now… relax, dude!

Naruto: OK…can we get on with the story now?

Author: Now, we just need to find Hinata and… alright! We'll start.

Hinata: Hello?

Naruto kidnaps Hinata and marries her.

THE END!

**STORY: **

"We'll have to tell Neji-nii-san, Tenten-chan, Ino-chan, Sakura-chan, Sai-kun, Choji-kun, Shikamaru-kun, Shino-kun and Kiba-kun too." Hinata said.

"OH GOD! I'm NOT telling all those people! Sakura knows, and I bet Shikamaru and Shino do too. They know stuff like this." Naruto exploded and lay back on the couch. Hinata smiled and patted his head.

"We'll find a way to tell them…For now; we've got to plan it out. Why don't we tell them in a group? Let's invite Sakura-san too, to refresh her memory. "Hinata replied, stretching.

"Ok, so we tell them about the Kyuubi and get them ramen?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"Well, maybe just the two of us later. You haven't seen how much Neji-nii-san and Tenten-chan can eat at one time." Hinata said and laughed.

"We could get Tsunade-sama to tell them and pay her. She'd gamble it off in, like, ten minutes but it's a possibility!" Naruto said. "She could make it a mission!"

"Alright Naruto, we'll ask her tomorrow. Now I have to go, otou-sama doesn't like it when I'm out too late." Hinata said and patted Naruto's head.

"HA! I WIN! "Naruto held up a paper. In her father's handwriting, it said, "I give my daughter and heiress, Hinata Hyuuga, permission to stay overnight at the residence of Naruto Uzumaki. She must return home, however, by 12 noon the next day. '

"Did you forge that?" Hinata asked.

"No. I actually talked to him. He said, 'As long as you two don't do anything weird, its fine." Naruto said.

Hinata smiled. Naruto didn't understand, but this was a big victory for them as a couple, gaining her father's approval to stay at his house overnight.

They snuggled under the comforter in the one bedroom in his apartment. She put her head on his chest and fell asleep to the beat of the heart that lay, beating only for her, under a T-Shirt and a couple inches of skin and muscles.

She woke before him in the morning, smiling contentedly and pulled on her trademark lavender and white jacket over her black T-Shirt and let herself out. She took one last look at the love of her life, which was lying on the couch, and snoring. She unlocked the door and walked in the direction of the Hokage's office. She figured she could prepare her for the shock dressed in orange known as Naruto.

**20 Minutes Later:**

"What? HE TOLD YOU?" Tsunade yelled. "You realize what this means? He likes you and I finally win a bet! Jiraiya-kun! I win!"

"Awww…I was going to use the money for research." Jiraiya yelled.

"Ok, so one week from now, we get all of them to assemble at the monthly council meeting with their parents or the clan head: You and Neji with Hiashi-san, Tenten with Kaichiro-san, Ino-chan with Inoichi-san, Sakura-chan with Shinmei-san, Sai-kun, Choji-kun with Chouza-san, Shikamaru-kun with Shikaku-san, Shino-kun with Shibi-san and Kiba-kun with Tsume-chan. Then we tell them or rather Naruto tells them and we reinstate his clan in the council!" Tsunade said and jumped up. "Now you go and tell him, Hinata-chan!"


	3. Naruto's Happy Day

Dattebayo Chapter 3….

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! I really enjoy it when people compliment my stories. If you're worrying that the Sand Sibs didn't show up yet, they're coming… Temari will end up with dear lazy Shika-kun, and Mr. Naru-naru with Hinata, but who was made for Gaara????

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Itachi would be alive and Naru x Hina and Shika x Tema would already be happening. GET ON WITH IT, Kishimoto!

Story:

"WHAT? I have to tell all those people?" I yelled. "THIS IS NOT HAPPENING, NO WAY, HINATA-CHAN! I HAVE TO SHOW UP AT THAT COUNCIL MEETING TOO?"

Hinata nodded her head. "We'll have to get you something nice to wear…again."

"Oh, god…" I said. "More Sakura and Ino torture sessions?"

"No. I'll help you. Now let's get going." She said and pulled me out my own front door.

She found me a pair of khaki cargo pants that went to my ankles, a black hooded sweatshirt and a nice orange shirt to wear inside. "Hey! These are cool! I might even consider changing my ninja uniform to this!" I yelled.

"Don't…" Hinata said, blushing. "That's a part of who you are too."

"Okay." I said and turned around. "Now let's get going. We've got a lot to do and not much time."

"_Holy…I'm really taking charge of this situation." I thought._

"Hey, Naruto, what's popping?" Someone yelled "Get over here!"

"Hey Kiba, what's up?" I asked.

"Tsunade-sama wants to see you and Hinata right now. It's an emergency!" Kiba said, gasping for breath.

"Calm down, doggy breath, I'm coming right now." I said and ran off in the direction of the Hokage Tower, closely pursued by Hinata, Kiba and Akamaru. I could have sworn I saw Sakura, who quickly joined the chase, but who cares? I have Hinata now, and I was faking the whole Sakura thing anyway!

**5 minutes and a lot of running later:**

The door opened and I ran straight into Tsunade-sama. "Sorry, baa-chan. I guess I flipped when Doggy Breath, here, said it was an emergency.

"There are two, actually. Oh yeah, and the three of you have a C-rank mission tomorrow. Get as much perverted stuff out of the village as possible. Jiraiya-kun is coming back tomorrow." Baa-chan said. "Sit down, guys!"

I took a seat in a chair near her desk.

"Okay, kids…" She began and the door creaked open.

"Hello. Just on time, you two!" she said when Sakura and Sai walked in.

"Okay. I have received notice form scouts patrolling the borders that Uchiha Sasuke is coming toward Konoha with Team Hebi. But, the odd thing is, he's coming peacefully…with Itachi." She said.

"Really? You mean it?" I asked. 'You mean we can go get him now?"

"Now, now Naru-chan. We all know Sasuke was, sorry, is your best friend, but try to calm down." Baa-chan said, shaking her head. "In fact, Naruto is barred from this mission. Hinata, Sakura, Lee, Neji, Kiba and Shikamaru will go on this mission. Naruto will stay behind with Shino, Ino and Choji, who make up the reserve team. Even if the rest of you are incapacitated, I will not allow Naruto to go on this mission. You will leave in two weeks."

I hung my head. "Well. I guess I should go, if you guys are going to talk about the mission and stuff."

"Actually, everyone is dismissed except for Naruto." Baa-chan said and waved them out. "Sit down. You know why I am not sending you on this mission, correct?"

I nodded and said, "Interference of my feeling toward Sasuke would just hinder everyone. Look, I'm fine. I don't need to go. I can just hang out here with BBQ Dude, T-Rex and Creepy Man and train. I'm good."

"But Naruto, there is another reason. What is your dream for your life?" she said and smiled, folding her arms in front of her chest and leaning back in her chair.

"I want to be Hokage." I replied.

"Well then, what if I told you I would train you to my successor while the others were away?" she asked.

"I would accept and yell and scream and then… Ask you if we could start tomorrow? Can I tell anyone?" I asked.

"Hinata can be told, along with Nara and Akimichi. They wouldn't go spreading it. Kakashi knows, as well as Jiraiya that I was going to ask you about this. So, would you like to become my successor?" baa-chan asked.

"Yes." I said and put out my hand. "But can I at least go on another mission while they're gone?"

"I'll think about it." Baa-chan said and waved me out. I found everyone else outside.

"What did she say?" Sakura asked.

"You okay, bro?" Sai asked when I didn't say anything.

"My status as a Konoha shinobi has been revoked. I am to return my headband tomorrow morning at the council meeting and I want all of you to be there, okay? But the sucky part is that, once I'm a civilian, the villagers will have so much more time to beat me up in." I trailed off. Hinata and Sakura looked like they were going to cry and the guys looked really down. "I'M JUST KIDDING!" I yelled.

_They looked confused…Oh well!_

"Guess what?" I asked.

"We don't know, Naruto-kun." They all said.

"Baa-chan's finally accepted me as her successor! I'm going to be the 6th Hokage, dattebayo!" I yelled.

"That's great, Naruto-kun." Hinata said and blushed.

"Sorry." I said, "Was I embarrassing you?"

I could swear I heard Sakura say, "So dobe-master finally grew up, huh? Things are going to be a lot quieter…"

**Approximately 160 miles from Konoha's main Gate:**

"Sasuke-kuuuun, are we there yet?" Karin groaned and flopped down onto a stone.

"Karin, SHUT UP! This is the 50th or so time you have asked that question! STOP HUGGING ME!" Sasuke yelled.

"Then, you really don't like me, Sasuke-kuuuun?" Karin asked.

"No. I think of you as the most annoying person on this team, nothing more or less. You're even worse than Suigetsu or Itachi and they're madmen." Sasuke stated calmly and walked faster.

"Hey!" Itachi yelled. "I kept you alive, didn't I? I'm perfectly sane!" Itachi yelled.

"I didn't kill my teacher! You and that blasted Naruto did! That doesn't mean I'm weird!" Suigetsu yelled.

"Wow. You actually made a point there, Suigetsu. Maybe I should talk to you more often." Sasuke commented dryly.

"One more step on my way to being the second-in-command." Suigetsu said quietly.

"Hey! I see a big wrought-iron gate! 100 miles away, give or take 50." Juugo said and rushed on.

"It should take us about four days then. Remember, we are going to Konoha to ask them to shelter us. We will serve them truly and well as shinobi of the Fire Country. If we have to start from Genin, so be it. We all will start from Genin. Itachi-nii will be restored as an ANBU, probably, but the rest of us are sure to start out as Genin or Chuunin." Sasuke said. "That was your mission briefing. Now let's pick up the pace a bit, I don't want the Hokage to strain herself over picking out a team so come and get us. Also, there are a couple people I want to see."

"Did you have a girlfriend in Konoha, Sasuke-kuuuun?" Karin asked.

"No." Sasuke replied curtly. "I didn't need one."

"Do you need one now?" Karin asked, batting her eyelashes.

"I've got a girl in mind already and it's not you!" Sasuke said and walked faster, with Suigetsu, Itachi and Juugo following him. Karin ran to catch up, but couldn't.

"Wait, Sasuke-kun! Slow down, please!" she yelled.

"Good choice, sir." Juugo commented. "Are we going to leave her there?"

"We will not stop for her. If she wants to be in Team Hebi, she will have to show us that she can run fast enough." Sasuke said.

All is well in the village of Konoha… Ichiraku's is chock full of celebrating kids, Naruto is planning pranks with Hinata and Sasuke finally told Karin how he felt about her…

Nothing could be better.


	4. First Day on the Job

Dattebayo Chapter 4

By: dattebayo1213

A/N: Moushiwake Arimasen. I could have updated this earlier, but I had to rewrite the entire chapter because I forgot to save it and turned off my chapter. (I wrote the chapter all in one go, and imagine my surprise when I turned on my laptop the next morning to post it and found an empty document!)

I just read a story by ArcTheJedi called Trial by Leaves. It's an excellent story and wonderfully written. I recommend you read it.

**Disclaimer:**

Rikou-chan: Anyway, I just realized I hadn't been posting disclaimers, so here goes! I've brought in Temari to help, because she's making her first appearance in this chapter along with her brothers! Yay Temari!

Temari: Thanks. Anyway, Rikou-chan doesn't own anything or anybody and she's nowhere close to either of them.

Rikou-chan: Thanks, Temari!

Temari: No probs…

Story:

Hinata's Point of View:

I knocked on the door of what I supposed was Sakura's apartment. It was all the way on the other side of town from the Hyuuga estate and I barely could make sense of the directions. As I prepared to knock again, a familiar pink-haired, teenage girl stuck her head out the slight crack she had made. "Oh, it's Hinata! Come in, please!"

"When everyone's here, then we'll get going. I made dinner and we're going to have an awesome picnic by the river!" she said, gushing with details of the dinner she had prepared. She led me into her living room, and I saw Tenten, Ino and Temari sitting on the ground, talking and laughing like old friends.

"Temari-sama!" I said bowing quickly, "I didn't know you would be here!"

"Just call me Temari." She answered quickly, "Anyway, Shika-kun escorted me to the village for official business. And guess what? I overheard him talking to Choji on his cell phone, and he actually said he loved me!"

"Nice catch, Temari-san!" Ino said, "Just how did you steal the lazy boy's heart?"

"I don't know! That's the funny part!" she said and burst out laughing along with Ino.

"Konnichiwa, Tenten!" I said, and waved. She waved back. I had been seeing her more recently at the Mansion, because she had been training with Neji-nii-san more recently. I think she liked him, because she was really nice and blushed around him.

"So…" Sakura plopped down on one of her green chairs, and said, "Anyone got any good gossip?"

Ino, the gossip queen of the village, smirked and said, "I found out that I've got a secret admirer, and I know him!"

"Who?" Sakura squealed. Sometimes I could not believe how alike these two were. No wonder they were best friends…

"Sai!" Ino said and everyone went quiet.

"Him?!" Sakura said.

"Yup, he gave me a rose!" Ino said and pressed her hands to her heart. Everyone gasped. Then quickly, as always, the conversation turned to me and Naruto.

'So, how are you two doing?" Sakura asked, intrigued as always.

"Fine." I replied, looking down, extremely ashamed that I couldn't hide the blush creeping into my cheeks.

"Damn… He's got you good!" Ino yelled and Sakura wrestled her to the ground, clamping her hand tightly to Ino's mouth while Ino whimpered pointlessly in an effort to make Sakura release her world-famous grip.

I wandered off into my own world, resting my chin on my hand. It was a world where there was no Hyuuga clan, no Hanabi and more importantly, just me and Naruto. Wonderful…

**Naruto's POV:**

I sat on a chair in the waiting room of Tsunade-sama's office. She had said 9 AM. It was 1:15 PM and she still wasn't ready. I groaned and shifted around in my chair. I was already getting restless. Tsunade walked into the room, a large (and empty) bottle of sake in her hand, unsteadily making her way to her desk.

"So…brat…how've…you…been?" She said in between coughs.

"It's about time you showed up!" I said venomously and then slapped a hand over my mouth. Shitsurei shimashita, sensei…"

"No need, brat. Let's get on with it!" she said, shaking her head to clear away the fog. "Alright. So we're going to start your training today. What do you have in mind?"

My eyes regained their mischievous sparkle and I said, "Well, duh, sparring!"

She looked me over for a few minutes and then said, "Really Naruto, being Hokage is not about just fighting! It's about caring for the citizens of Konoha. Do you care about the citizens of Konoha?!"

"Yes…" I mumbled, rolling my eyes. "Why would I try to be Hokage if I just wanted to bring hell to Konoha? I have so many other ways I could do that!"

"I can't hear you! And the Academy said **you** were loud!" She said. "Say it louder!"

"I LOVE KONOHA AND ITS PEOPLE, DAMMIT!" I yelled in her face. She wore an expression of horror for about a second and then her expression morphed into one of extreme happiness.

"Congrats. You have just passed my test!" she said.

"WHAT TEST?!" I asked a confused look on my face.

"Your former, thank god for that, 'Ero-sennin' did not believe that you could possibly love Konoha more than he did. He couldn't even yell as loud as you did. Psssh, loser." She said. "Anyway, I need to teach you something new. Write your name 192,000 times."

"WHY?" I asked, really confused.

"That's how many pieces of paperwork you'll need to sign your name on daily." She said and handed me a piece of paper.

I was all ready to begin my daunting task when I heard a knock at the door. A soft voice said, "Hokage-sama, may I speak with your almighty loudmouthed apprentice?"

I opened the door and stood face to face with Sabaku no Gaara and his brother Kankuro. "Hello, Ga….go... go... go…gomen, uhh…. Kazekage-sama. How've you been?" I asked, suddenly aware of my lack of manners. I turned bright red and sat right down.

Kankuro laughed and said, "Well, the impossible has happened. The hyper, blond maniac of Konoha has finally learned manners. How did you do it?"

"No need. He taught himself." She said and smiled. "Yo, apprentice, you are free to leave with your friends. Catch you later." She grabbed her sake bottle and was about to take a swig, when she realized it was empty. She was going to "ask her apprentice" to do an "errand", but I was long gone by the time she looked up.

A/N: Did you like the chapter? I thought it was ok, especially Naru-kun's cute moment right there. Awww… Anyway, review!

This is Rikou Tenshuu, signing off!


	5. I'd Never Leave You

Dattebayo Chapter 5: I'd Never Leave You

By: dattebayo1213

A/N: My brain's bursting to the brim with ideas. I think this may be longer than I though it'd be! Please review!!!

Story:

A lavender-haired girl leaned on the arm of her blonde haired companion while she talked softly. "The council meeting is tomorrow. I'm required to be here for that, but I have to leave right after. Are you sure you'll be fine, Naruto?"

"I'll be fine." He said, grinning. "You'll be in good hands, Hinata, so how could I be worried?" He pulled her into a quick embrace and started to walk briskly dragging her behind him.

"Whe…whe… Where are we going?" the girl, now identified as Hinata, asked, her self-confidence disappearing quickly.

"Close your eyes, Hina-chan." He said and led her into a small glade, where a clean, blue waterfall rushed down into the water.

"This was where we had our first date." Hinata said, memories rushing back, memories that brought smiles to her face.

"So… tomorrow is our big day, huh?" he asked, leaning his head against hers, knees pulled up to his chest.

"Yes, Naru, it is, so behave yourself, alright?" she said, playfully poking his arm. He smiled and leaned in a little further.

"That's possible…" he said and abruptly stood up. "Let's go…"

They walked around the empty, deserted streets of the city, laughing and talking and holding hands until they reached their apartment. The sound of a key sliding smoothly into a lock echoed around the street as the young couple let themselves in…and then…the world reverted to the quiet it had had before these two young lovers broke the silence, and the moon smiled.

**The Next Day…**

**Naruto's POV:**

I stood outside of the hall, dressed in my new clothes, but yearning for the feel of the comfortable orange and black jumpsuit I wore just yesterday. "There isn't even that much orange anymore!" I whined out loud, shaking my fists at the sky. I pulled the corners of my jacket close to my face and turned my face to the sky and sighed.

**Inside:**

**General POV:**

"Alright! The Council meeting of Horror is now in progress. Attendance! Hyuuga Clan?"

"Here…" Neji replied boredly, one hand drumming impatiently on the table.

"Are Tenten and Kaichiro-san here?"

"Yup, we're here. We wouldn't miss this for the world." Tenten's father replied.

"Good. Are the Yamanakas here?"

"Here… as always…" Ino's father groaned, head on the table. Ino sat beside him, silently fuming.

"I'm sorry for my father's indecent behavior, Hokage-sama."

"No need, no need." Tsunade said, shaking her head.

"Are Sakura-chan and Shinmei-san here?"

"Here." A black haired man and the familiar pink haired girl sat together, a familiar expression of anger plastered across their faces.

"Choji-kun with Chouza-san?"

Two huge men sat on the chairs, their big-boned-ness spilling over the edge of the chair.

"Shikamaru-kun with Shikaku-san?"

A chorus of "How troublesome" was heard from the back of the room and Tsunade turned to see three of the four Naras.

"Oh, and you brought little Asuka this time! That's so cute!!"

Shikamaru's sister , Asuka, sighed, and yawned. "How long until we got to go?"

"Like two freaking hours." Shikamaru said, resting his face on both of his hands.

"Awww man! And I actually wasted the effort of planning out the entire morning!!!" she yelled and punched Shikamaru in a very Sakura-esque fashion.

"Ugh… it's not my fault!" Shikamaru said, rubbing his cheek, where a red mark was rapidly forming.

"That's enough, you two." Tsunade said, shaking with laughter. "Shino-kun with Shibi-san?"

"Hn…" the two sunglass-clad men replied. Shino's younger brother, Shifu, shot up from under the table. "Here?"

"O…ok."Tsunade said, "We know you're here now…and Kiba-kun with Tsume-chan."

"Here!" The two dog-lovers replied, leaning back in their chairs.

"Oh… wait… I seem to have forgotten the newest clan in the council. Heir to the Namikaze, would you please get in here?"

**Naruto's POV:**

I heard Tsunade's loud comment and walked in. Everyone gasped. "Where should I sit, Hokage-sama?"

"Right here, gaki. Now sit down!" she said, smiling.

I sat her right, and felt Hinata's warm gaze from her (Tsunade's) left. She had just come in, and had sat down beside Neji.

"So… council is now in order. The first topic up for discussion is my successor. I chose one, whether you guys like it or not, and he's sitting next to me. So deal with it."

Koharu and Homura, Tsunade's advisors, leapt up from where they were sitting. "But, Hokage-sama, he's the monster!" Koharu said, a look of anger in her eyes.

"And besides, he's just a child!" Homura said, standing beside his former teammate.

"May I speak, Hokage-sama?"I asked.

"Utatane-sama and Mitokado-sama, I know you would rather not have me in this high a post in the village's hierarchy because of what is inside me, but I will work hard to prove to you that I can control 'it'. As one of my most respected colleagues said, 'You are not the monster, the monster just happens to be in you'. I continue to live by what she said, and I will prove it to you, and the rest of the village that I can and will be the Hokage, and the best Hokage you have ever seen and ever will see." I said, and sat down.

Everyone continued to stare at me in amazement. "You rocked their socks, gaki." Tsunade said, patting me on the back, "That's the kind of talk you'll have to do when you're Hokage."

Hinata's smile was as bright as I thought it could ever be, and I smiled back, reflecting every bit of warmth she gave me right back.

"Now that that's resolved, here's the second case for today." Tsunade said and nodded to two ANBU, who had been watching the proceedings from the doorway.

They led a young man in, who looked surprisingly familiar. The angry look, the steady gait, they could have been taken straight from Sasuke. I was surprised.

Asuka gasped, and the boy waved to her. He smiled and flipped a thumbs-up to Shikamaru, who returned it.

"So Matsushita, here, has figured out something very important. Can you tell me?" Tsunade asked. When the boy did not reply, she went on. "Isshin has uncovered a B-Class secret. Can you tell them?"

The boy shook his head, and stood looking desolately at the ground.

"Isshin Matsushita now knows who his father is. Can you tell them that?" Tsunade asked, and the boy gave in. He took a deep breath and uttered two words that shook the council to the bottoms of their brains.

"Seisaku Uchiha."

"Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha aren't the last survivors of their clan, it seems." Neji commented.

"I really have to go now, Hokage-sama…" Isshin said, a little rushed, and turned to leave. Asuka shot up and grabbed him by the back of the shirt.

"Not so fast, baka. You're sitting with us." She said and dragged him over to sit with the Naras. Shifu walked over of his own accord, and began to chat with his friends/prank mates.

"Isshin was born the day of the Uchiha massacre, so Itachi didn't even know of the existence of his cousin until very recently, when Isshin awakened his Sharingan in a battle against four assassins who originally worked for him. Sasuke knew, as afterward, his 'half-cousin', Jun Matsushita, brought Sasuke with him to the hospital to see Jun's new brother." Tsunade said. "We actually have a first-hand witness to the battle. Asuka Nara, please explain **exactly** what you saw on the night of March 13th."

Asuka cleared her throat, and began in a shaky voice, "I had just finished my watch. It was the first mission I had been assigned since we became Chuunin, and Isshin and I were sent on our own. I went inside the tent that we had set up an hour before, and I sat down. I heard noises outside, but convinced myself it was just Isshin pacing, like he always does on watch. But later, it got even louder, and I went outside. I saw Isshin outside, his back to me, with his sword all bloody, and there were three people, dead, on the ground. I asked him what was going on, and he turned around, with his eyes all red. That's all I saw."

"Thank you, and that's all there is for today." Tsunade said. "Asuka and Isshin, I need to speak to you for a minute. The rest of you, including Naruto, may leave."

I nodded and went out the door. Hinata walked out soon after me, and she was visibly shaken. "I feel bad for that boy; to suddenly find out that the people you consider your family actually isn't your real family."

I hugged her, and said, "That kid'll be fine. With good friends like he's got, he'll get over it. Now do you need help packing?"

They walked home, and sat talking about the day with clothes spread all around the floor. They sat up until midnight, and decided to sleep.

Hinata was gone early the next morning, and left nothing but a note as her goodbye.

A/N: Did you like the new style I used for the beginning? Tell me in your review!!!!

Anyway, Hinata & crew will meet Sasu-kun in the next chapter, and Sakura's going to give him a piece of her mind about his fashion sense. Also, Alicia-sama will make her appearance, and the remaining three Uchiha meet… Also, more funny training moments are planned!


	6. And Enter Uchiha

Dattebayo, Chapter 6

By: dattebayo1213

Story:

**A/N: Italics means thoughts. I just wanted to let you know. I'm starting high school on August 17th, so I won't be posting very often. Dattebayo is coming to a close very soon! There are only two more chapters left! **

**Naruto's POV:**

I yawned and poked the beeping alarm clock. "Ugh." I groaned and jumped out of bed. I turned, hoping to see Hinata asleep, as usual, and shook my head rapidly. "_She left already…"_ I remembered and walked out of the room.

I opened up the cupboards, and saw about ten crates of ramen hiding one box of cereal. I closed the doors and went to the refrigerator, hoping to find something more interesting there. I saw a note taped to the front of the fridge in Hinata's handwriting. "Sorry I couldn't say goodbye… you were asleep. Anyway, you should try the cereal. It'll do you some good. Aishiteru, Hinata-chan." I read. "Hmm. I could try the cereal."

I picked up the box and poured the cereal and about half a gallon of milk into one of the bowls I found in the cupboard, next to the box of cereal.

"This actually isn't so bad." I said, in between loud crunches.

I heard a loud knock on the door, and a young boy's voice yelling, "Mail Delivery for Mr. Naruto Uzumaki!"

I opened the door to see the boy from yesterday. 'Umm…Hello…Isshin, right?" I asked uncertainly, scratching the back of my head.

"Yes, sir! You have mail from the Kazekage." He said uncertainly, shuffling his feet.

"It's okay, about yesterday and all. You don't have to be awkward about it." I said, shrugging. "Who knows what can happen? Come inside for a minute, I have something to tell you."

The boy walked inside, cautiously stepping over the threshold, and stood near the chair that I seated myself in.

"You see, I discovered my father just like you did. But it's okay. Just because your father was great doesn't mean that you have to fill his footsteps or anything. You'll turn out fine. And another thing, that girl, she likes you." I said, clapped his shoulder and then said, "You'll be fine, kid."

He looked at me with amazement written all over his face and abruptly turned and left, closing the door gently behind him.

I looked at the envelope he had given me quite carefully. It was sea blue, and the stamp had Gaara's face on it. It was addressed to me, of course, and I rummaged through the drawers for a letter opener, managing to spear myself with a dull one and walk around with it hanging from my finger for **five minutes** before I realized it was there.

I extracted it without much pain, and managed to open the letter... while sucking on my injured finger."Where does Hinata keep the bandages?" I wondered. I usually didn't need any, because, well, you know, the Kyuubi and all.

"Dear Naruto-sama..." I read. "Jeez..." I said. "How many times do I have to tell him that I'm not that used to formality!!"

I looked down at the letter again."I would really like to see you again, so I am officially inviting you to Suna so we can catch up. I would like to see you there. From, Sabaku no Gaara." I snorted loudly. "You can trust Gaara to find a way to catch up once in a while."

I dug a piece of decent looking paper and a blue pen and wrote a hurried reply. "Dear... Gaara.... stop... being... so formal.... I'll... show ...up eventually.... From... Uzumaki Naruto, Apprentice to the Fifth Hokage... There! Perfect!"

I shoved it into an envelope and stuffed that into my mailbox. Perfect. Now all I had to do was amuse myself until two o'clock... How could I possibly amuse myself for that long?!

**Sasuke's POV:**

My brother is the most agitating person in the entire freaking world. Look at his "angelic" face. He's always so calm, and cute and perfect. Eww. I'm way better looking.

There he is, cruising along like he owns this group, and not just alone, with that, ugh, vampire he's married to. Eww. I thought he was a genius! Looks like even geniuses slip up once in a while...

I resign myself to walking again and see the gates of Konoha, not far away. However, night is beginning to fall, and I feel tired as heck. I sit down and watch Itachi and Alicia chat and hug and do all that stuff that lovers do.

I scoff at them, and the... the... vampire bares her fangs at me. I know she hates my guts... ARGH.

At least I'll be free of them once I get to Konoha. Freakin' weirdos.

**Hinata's POV:**

It's near nightfall, about fifteen miles north of Konoha's border. I sit near our carefully made fire and think about my departure in the morning. "_I should have said goodbye, at least."_ I thought and snuggled closer into the blanket that I had brought with me. It was blue with little orange foxes, a blanket I had found when we moved into the Namikaze residence about a month ago, in Naruto-kun's nursery.

It even smelled like him... I sniffed the fabric and looked up again. I heard noises and activated my Byakugan. What I saw was very... interesting.

Sasuke Uchiha was heading straight for us. Oh... dear... god... no...

**General POV:**

Sasuke Uchiha was right outside their camp and was getting ready to strike when Suigetsu over a tree root. "F***!" Suigetsu yelled.

The rest of the ninja team woke up and scrambled out of their tents. A sleepy eyed Sakura went up to Sasuke and said, "Who the heck are you and why are you here?"

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha, leader of this here group, and we are seeking out some Konoha shinobi to help us return to the village." Sasuke said and pointed out his team. "This is Itachi, Alicia, my sister-in-law, Suigetsu, Juugo, and Karin."

Everyone nodded. "I guess we could get a start back in the morning." Shikamaru said and yawned.

"Alright. We can leave first thing tomorrow morning." Neji said and made a face when he saw Sasuke in front of him. "Uchiha."

"Hyuuga." (Sasuke)

"Uchiha" (Neji)

"Hyuuga." (You know who said this.)

And so on and on the conversation went. No one slept that night.

**BACK AT KONOHA, SOMETIME THE NEXT EARLY MORNING:**

You could see two figures outlined in the early light. Both blond, spiky-haired and... avidly playing jacks?

When the search party reached the gate, they walked up to them. "Hello." the boy said, bowing. "Should I get your bags, oh fragile and mentally insecure former teammate?"

"SHUT THE HELL UP NARUTO!" Sakura yelled and punched him.

"Yeesh. Someone's PMS-ing." Naruto said and rolled his eyes.

Hinata walked through the gate silently, but when she saw her boyfriend's face, she lit up. "Hi, Naruto-kun!"

Naruto flashed her a thumb's-up and took her heavy backpack.

Sasuke walked in with his group and Naruto's expression was one of disbelief.

"Sasuke?" he asked.

"Wow, dobe, you're taller than me now." Sasuke said, incredulously.

Naruto smiled. "I missed you."

"Thanks." Sasuke replied and patted his shoulder.

"Hey, uh, Sakura? Could I talk to you for a minute?" Naruto called.

"Sure... why?" Sakura asked, putting her pack down on the dusty road.

"Well..." Naruto said and stopped.

THAT WAS FUN! THE NEXT CHAPTER'LL BE UP IN A COUPLE WEEKS!


	7. Questions, Questions and More Questions!

Dattebayo, Chapter 7...

"The End Approaches...."

written by: dattebayo1213

Dedicated to: Shelbs, Ari and Nik-Nik (My buddies :D), and also my most supportive reviewers: Tsukishi, Rose Tiger, and Alicia Kawa Uchiha.

*****STORY*****

"Well..." Naruto began, "If Sasuke... uh, if this person you really liked asked you to marry them, would you say yes?"

"Of course I would!" Sakura said, and lapsed into her own imagination, dreaming of Sasuke's hypothetical proposal. She saw him getting down on one knee, telling her he loved her beyond any type of measurement known to man, and whisking her away as soon as she consented to marry her.

"Better consult the experts..." Naruto said, shrugged and walked away, leaving Sakura to continue her reverie. He did make sure the area around her was safe, as she looked like she was eventually going to faint.

*****At the same time, somewhere on the other side of the town... Team 10 (well, 2/3 of Team 10) was learning the art of stalking*****

"Hey, 'suka! These are probably the people sensei told us to find! Look! One fat one, one with red hair and another with a creepy ass-face and a big sword!" Isshin said, barely able to contain himself. The girl, now revealed as Asuka Nara, shoved his head down.

"How you ever made chunin is remarkable, based on your complete lack of stealth skills." She smiled as Isshin stared right past her. "Hmm..." the girl said, dropping to her knees. "How fast d'you think we can assemble this thing? And don't call me anything that might reveal our presence. Do you pay attention at all?"

"Yeah... Whatever. I think we can assemble this pretty fast." The boy said, "We've had experience with Shikamaru-sensei's instructions, haven't we?"

"Oh yes we have... Now let's get crackin' with this grenade... launcher... thing-a-ma-bob..." she said, with a slightly evil glint in her eye. "Seriously, what's with Shika-nii and retarded instructions? Does he really have to hate everyone so much?"

"Really? Do we have to go through this again?" The boy asked, flipping his hair out of his eyes. He smiled widely at the girl, who scoffed at his attempt to be attractive/funny.

"Get a frickin' bandanna, freak." The girl said, and pushed the boy headlong into a bush. He did need a haircut... and everyone knew it.

Once he got out of the bush, the two set on the task of assembling the massive weapon, putting parts haphazardly onto the partially assembled barrel of the gun-like object.

Fifteen minutes later, the two stood happily over a fully assembled grenade launcher, ready to fire it. The three people mentioned earlier were still eating, so the children took aim, fired and stealthily went out back. Thankfully, they waited until they were far out of hearing range to do their victory dance, or they might have blown their own cover, which took so long to reestablish after Isshin blew it with the bush episode.

Later, lay-men would say that they saw the snake-like young man, with the really creepy sword blow up the restaurant, but the Hokage knew differently. She knew that there were only two children in Konoha, whose teacher was lax enough about rules to allow them to do this. However, she wasn't going to shoot them or anything. She had other people to do that for her.

***** Some random side street, in the slightly more troubled area of Konoha....*****

After a long (about three hours...) day of work, Isshin Matsushita was walking home. It had been more tedious than usual, and he would have liked to just have spent the day at home, relaxing... and drawing pictures. He was looking down the street, shading his eyes from the blatantly glaring sunlight (he had forgotten his sunglasses at home, and didn't really feel safe without them), only to see two men at the end of a dark alley. One appeared to be angered, and was holding a bottle. Both were standing in the shadows, and one looked like he was assaulting the other.

Isshin sighed. It wouldn't hurt him to see what the hell was happening. Besides, it's not like his family was on edge expecting his arrival from anywhere in particular. Well, it really didn't work that way… his brother was expecting him home, but Jun was never on time, so he had some leeway.

He walked into the alley, hands in pockets, casually whistling, but the men noticed him right away. The man whose back was turned to him spun around, and pulled out a large, heavy-looking sword.

"Who are you?" He asked, baring his teeth. "Tell me or my sword can make friends with your neck..." The man looked him over, his eyes lighting up in a strange way.

"Isshin Matsushita." he said, replying in his usual, terse way. He turned to leave, but changed his mind abruptly in the middle of a step. "Do you need any more information?" He asked, arms crossed defiantly across his chest, head cocked slightly to one side. He was no fool, and was attempting to observe, but all he could gather about the very unfriendly man was that he had a real ugly haircut, and that his butt bow was… well, a butt bow. And it was also purple. Isshin did not like purple.

"Matsushita... Matsushita... I've heard that name before... who is it... who is it? NO... NO! It can't be you... No... You should have never come... NO..." He said and retreated into the darkness of the alley, questioning himself.

The other man stepped slightly into the light, and cocked his head to one side as he looked him over. "Sorry, my brother's kind of a schiz now... Can I help you?"

"Who are you?" Isshin asked, unknowing of the terrible fact this would uncover.

"My name is Itachi Uchiha... your cousin." He said and smiled at Isshin, baring his teeth in a strangely scary way.

This is not the way that any normal teenager likes to begin their day. So, Isshin ran. Like the wind. Really.

***END***

A/N: Hey Alicia? Did you catch the minor Sasu-bash back there? Isshin is going to be majorly anti-"Butt Bow Boy" for his entire life… more so once he hears how Sasu dissed his mother as a kid. Isshin is a mama's boy. You diss his mom, you diss him. Watch for that in the next chappie.

-dattebayo1213


	8. The Confrontation

Chapter 8 of Dattebayo

By: dattebayo1213

A/N: Rated T for Isshin's… rather… colorful rant. You'll see it approximately mid-chapter. If you're not an angst fan, read it anyway. It provides character insight. Sorry for the long wait, and enjoy the chapter.

Isshin reached the door, panting from the effort of running about three miles in 10 minutes. He knocked on the door, but received no answer. "Kuso…" He said, exhaling and began to search his multiple pockets for keys. His sister was on a mission, his brother was… somewhere and his mother long since dead, so today was the day he had to let himself in. And today was the only day he had chosen to lose his keys. Perfect.

"Looking for these?" Someone asked, and Isshin turned around, rapidly jerking a kunai out of his leg holster.

Itachi dangled a pair of keys in front of his young cousin's face. "I'd expect more of a true Uchiha."

"That's something I am not, and never will be. So shove off." Isshin said, narrowing his eyes and frowning as he attacked the lock with a paperclip, pausing to frown at the unyielding door. He turned toward Itachi, after a good five minutes of silence, and said, "Give them back."

"Well, well, well… Someone is worthy of the Uchiha name after all…" Itachi said and smirked, throwing the keys in the general direction of the boy, who caught them. "I should like to see baa-san before I go back home."

"Who?" Isshin asked.

"Your mother… and are Dori-chan and Jun here?" Itachi said, quietly reminiscing upon the days he had spent babysitting his half-cousins for his aunt and uncle.

"Mom's gone, Dori's married and Jun's… somewhere." Isshin said, his face taking on pallor. "How do you know so much about them?"

Itachi took a deep breath and began the explanation. "I'm sure you've heard of my brother and I. My name is Uchiha Itachi. I killed your father."

Isshin instantly bristled. "Don't talk about him. He went and got himself killed by a thirteen year old. He didn't give a shit about the fact that his wife and kids were waiting for him. He didn't give a shit about anything! HE DIDN'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT HIS OWN FUCKIN' SON! Everyone goes around telling me how he was such a great man, and he sacrificed his life for the good of the village. WHAT FUCKIN' GOOD DOES THAT DO ME? I grew up without a dad, for god's sake, FOR THE SAKE OF THE VILLAGE. I JUST DON'T CARE! HE DESERVES TO ROT IN HELL WITH THE REST OF YOUR RETARDED FAMILY FOR WHAT THEY DID TO ME!"

Itachi sighed, "Obviously, you weren't told the true story… I'll tell you that and all you need to know about your father…"

*** CHARACTER ORIGIN FLASHBACK ***

*** Start Scene 1 ***

Uchiha Seisaku stood in the large corridor, hands clasped behind his back, listening to his mother lecture him yet again. "Seisaku, you need to put more effort into your studies. I've known you since you've been born, and I know you're capable of more! I know you will graduate with your class, but you have to put much more effort into this than you are right now." He had heard this same exposé many times since he had started the Academy. That was the worst part of having a sibling that was close in age. Just a little over two years ago, Fugaku had wowed the crowd at the Academy, getting straight A's and graduating in a year and a half, a previously impossible time.

So when he had shown up at his first day at school, a lot was expected. So what if he didn't fulfill their sky-high expectations! He filled his own and the ones of the village, if not that of the clan. The clan. The reason for all of his misery. The reason he thanked God every morning that he was not Fugaku. He was the second son, the expendable, the one who was only needed in the case of the death of the elder son. But Fugaku wouldn't die. Seisaku knew it. He'd only die under odd circumstances, if at all. But then again, he, although already twelve, was never one to predict anything.

So he had resigned himself to taking the backseat, only emerging when asked, and only mattering when the question of his prowess was brought to the eyes of the clan. But the clan didn't see him. To them, he was just another child, useless and forever doomed to live in the shadow of his brother.

*** End Scene 1/ Start Scene 2 ***

He knew that someday he would leave. He just couldn't believe that he finally had. Well, he hadn't, the clan had kicked him out. But it was leaving all the same. Afterward, he had secured an apartment near Hokage Mountain that he had shared with his teammate, Izumi, of the Takagi Clan, a well-known clan of swordsmen and women who specialized in poisoned weapons.

His team stayed close, and they spent time together. But what he didn't see was the marriage proposal. Jun, his best friend, had been about to break up with Izumi, who he was crushing on, and Seisaku was about to muster his courage and tell her, but he had proposed. And that brought Seisaku's plan, along with the foundations of his life, crumbling down.

Fugaku was pressuring him to get settled down, being married to Mikoto, who was pregnant with their first child, already. But he wouldn't. He'd wait for Izumi.

*** END CHARACTER ORIGIN FLASHBACK ***

"Then, the Uchiha massacre happened, and he came to our house just as I had finished off my father. I asked him why he came, and he said that his loyalties lay with his brother, and if he had died, he would follow, just as he had done all his life. We fought for awhile, but I got him in the end. He told me he loved you, your mother and your siblings and that he wished for you to be an excellent shinobi." Itachi said, sighing. "He was a great man. I wish you could have met him."

"Huh. So do I. Due to his own mistakes, I never got the chance. Bastard." Isshin said.

"Isshin. He cared about you. Can we just put this behind us? Hell, Sasuke was able to forgive me. Can't you?"

Isshin put his hand forward. "I'll think about it." With that, he shook Itachi's hand, shoved the keys in the keyhole and entered his house. Suddenly, the other man appeared behind Itachi just as he was about to invite Itachi inside.

"Why are you wasting time with him… Hm… you look just like ojii-san." Sasuke growled.

"Would you… like to come in?" Isshin asked, slightly hesitant at the idea of the crazy-murderer-drama queen-bitch-man in his house (A/N: He's referring to Sasuke). The two men stepped inside the housing, carefully putting their right feet over the threshold first while entering. This is the closest they were going to get to a family reunion for quite awhile, and all three wanted to make the most of it.

A/N: That took a lot to write. Mieke, thanks for the "help" you gave me, and for reading this first. :D You're amazing. Next chapter's probably going to be Naruto giving Hinata the ring, and then the pre-written marriage chapter. BTW, ShikaTema is not in this story, but they will be in the sequel. They're getting married on the same day as Naruto and Hinata. That's all you need to know. There will be plenty of flashbacks in the Next Step to make up for it. Also, PM me with interesting proposal ideas. I need some. Cookies for the best one.


	9. Well, Will You?

Chapter 9: Well, will you?

A/N: Mieke's somewhere over the rainbow this weekend, so I decided to finally finish Dattebayo. She's gonna kill me for finishing while she wasn't here. ^^ Anyway, it's been 1 year, 8 months and 21 days… and it's finally coming to an end. This is the last chapter, in the sense of plot for this story—the next will merely be a prewritten epilogue. So, thanks to all of you that reviewed, especially… Tsukishi, Rose Tiger, Kenta Raikiri, and… OerbaKatMieke. Maybe. ^^ So, thanks for everything, y'all. I'll post as much as I can—there's a couple of new ideas in the pipeline, so expect some new work soon. Sorry this got so emotional.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Nor do I own Hinata. But Lightning owns both of them.

Dattebane0411: (from other room) AMEN!

Naruto sat impatiently at the fancy restaurant to which he had invited Hinata. There were just some days on which he just could not sit still, and today was one of those days, the task at hand only complicating things more by making him shake as he bounced up and down, causing the busboy to look suspiciously at him every time he passed by. He sighed as he fingered the donut-shaped object in his hand, turning it over and over as he contemplated exactly why he was doing this, and why now of all times. He laughed, thinking he should have waited for a day on which he could do this properly, causing all those who had planned on spending a quiet evening with their date raise an eyebrow at the raucous laughter, which was quickly silenced after the discovery that everyone was watching him. She swept in, just on time, and apologized, blushing, as she sat down, looking every inch the elegant lady she was. And suddenly he knew why he was doing this, why he was living—because he had her to share every minute with, and her to tell everything he had never told anyone else… now just to put it into words.

She picked up the menu and flipped the pages, taking her time as she read each line carefully, smiling as she found what she wanted, and looked at him for his reply, her eyes questioning him, staring straight into his soul, even though she was only looking to ask what he wanted for dinner. Every moment suddenly rushed into his head, the day they met, their first kiss, the day she moved in, everything flashed in front of his eyes as they ate quietly, each asking the other about the minutiae of their daily life. "How was teaching?" He had asked, expecting to receive a simple "yes" or "no", but instead got a full-on lecture about each child in her class, how they were progressing, and their special quirks and traits. He smiled as he thought about what their own would look like, and if he'd be a good father, and if she'd love them just like she loved everybody.

And then he took her outside. He dragged her to their spot, the pond near the waterfall, and they had lain in the grass, pointing out stars to each other, each one finding funny shapes that the other had left out. And then he got up, and kneeled, and it finally dawned on her what was happening. "Hinata… you've been everything for me, since the minute I found out you loved me, since the minute I found out I loved you, and everything in between. Please… will you marry me?"

And then she was speechless. She couldn't say a word—not yes, nor no, and she just sat there dumbly, awestruck that the man she loved—the one who would have just taken her to Ichiraku's instead of a fancy dinner, the one that enjoyed watching TV with her at home to going out, would plan an evening like this, by himself, for her. She coughed, and then regained her speech as she launched herself into his arms. "You needed to ask?"

Those four words filled him to the brim with happiness until he realized one thing—Hiashi still didn't know. He was screwed.


	10. Epilogue As Originally Written

Dattebayo, Chapter 10

By: dattebayo1213

**A/N: Sorry the last chappie was so short… I just thought that's how it should be. ^^ Here's the epilogue—as originally written. Just cause I was too lazy to make any changes.**

Standing calmly under a tree at the site of the reception, Shikaku Nara beamed at his son. "Shikamaru has come so far in the past few months…" he thought. Just watching his son dance with his daughter-in-law, whose repeated bouts of nausea were a great clue as to why Shikamaru **actually** proposed, was an exhilarating experience. "One down and one more to go..." He said, while watching his daughter "hanging out", as she put it, with her teammate by the rocks on the side of the garden. She was laughing hysterically while the boy slowly turned a bright red. Maybe he wouldn't have to work so hard to marry off this one…

"Please recite your vows, starting with Uzumaki Naruto..." The word reverberated around the hall. "I never thought I'd be doing this…" Naruto thought. "When I was young, everyone shunned me…" he began uncertainly," I thought I would always be alone, never loved or cared for. The beginning of our relationship was a bit awkward, as I'm sure you can remember, because I didn't know what to do. But you changed that. You showed me the right path, and I would be honored to spend eternity with you. And no matter what the teme says, I do **too** love you more than ramen!"

Hinata blushed. She knew all those words came from the heart. For her it was the same. She would be honored to spend eternity with him, and she would say just that when she said hers.

Sakura stood silently by Hinata's side, shaking with excitement. When Sasuke and Naruto had proposed to them, it had been surprising. As she looked at the serene faces of her former teammates, she realized that her lifelong dream had come true. By the end of the day, she would be Uchiha Sakura legally, not just in her dreams.

That night, the Konoha 12 and their senseis met together again for a celebration. "Everything seems so… perfect. Naruto finally married Hinata-sama, Shikamaru actually is picking his own lazy butt off a chair and doing some work… it seems like it was fate." Neji remarked coolly. Tenten squeezed his hand tightly and said quietly, "Just like us..."

Ino said, quietly, "Umm… excuse me, everybody, please quiet down! The Maids of Honor for all three weddings would like to speak! I'll go first, as Sakura's maid of Honor!" She raised her glass, "I've known all three couples for a long time. Shikamaru has been my friend for, what now, 20 years? Hinata and Naruto I've known since the Academy, but Sakura was one the ones who I've known the longest. Sakura and I were at the park when Sasuke walked up to us. He had seen us at school a couple times, and he wanted to know our names. I think that was the moment our rivalry began. But Sakura was meant for Sasuke, as I realized later, and I shouldn't intrude in that. So here's to a long, happy married life for all three couples!"

Asuka stood up pushed her hair out of her eyes, and yawned. "Sorry… I'm not usually up this late." Everyone laughed, and when the general happiness died down. She said, "I've spent the last 13 years of my life chasing and admittedly, tormenting my brother, Shikamaru. I am not sorry for this, but I think I should have given him some slack. Temari-nee-chan sure won't! When they were first going out, it was apparently a secret. I found Temari and Shikamaru together at Ichiraku Ramen. I am pretty glad that I told Mom and Dad, because they'd still be secretly hanging out. So, on behalf of Team Troublesome, have a very happy married life."

"Cute… but such a drag…" Everyone laughed when they saw Shikamaru lounging in his chair, with his tie loosened, getting beaten up by Temari.

"Hinata is a wonderful person, and she deserved this wedding. Hinata has been waiting for Naruto her entire life and he finally caught up. I really believe that this will be the marriage of the century, the future Rokudaime and the heiress of the Hyuuga. That's not something you see everyday. So Neji and I do wish you a happy married life together. We have all guessed that within the next five or ten years, we'll have little blond, hyperactive maniacs with the Byakugan running around Konoha yelling, 'Dattebayo!' at the end of every sentence. Thank you." Tenten said her voice lowered to a quiet tone by the end. Hinata smiled happily and rested her head on Naruto's shoulder. He looked over, surprised, but when he saw it was just her, he smiled and patted her head with his hand.

Temari's Maid of Honor, Asuka, tapped a glass with her spoon. "Shikamaru's groomsmen are being forced to make speeches!"

"Asuka-chan, do we have to?" a black-haired boy who could have passed for an Uchiha said. "Screw this… I'm leaving!" He sighed and attempted to make his way out the door, but was restrained by his angry looking girlfriend.

"You will stay here, dork boy!" she (Asuka) said (A/N: Well, this is Asuka… "yelled".).

"Okay… sure… I guess…" he said while she forced him back in to the chair.

"Right…" he began," So sensei's a good guy. He's cool. He's happier when Temari-sama's around, so good for him. Of course, he did hook me up with my teammate, who's his frickin' sister, but still, good luck."

"Shin-shin speaks for both of us..." A boy sitting near Shino said. He wore the same sunglasses as his elder brother.

"Now I see why she likes him…" Shikamaru said and immediately got stared down by both his sister and Temari.

TWENTY MINUTES LATER:

Hinata, eyes closed and dreaming, slept with her head rested on Naruto's shoulder. He was smiling in his sleep. Sakura and Sasuke were standing in the shadows, holding hands where they thought no one could see them. Shikamaru was smiling at a hysterical Temari, who was laughing at a joke he had made.

Yes… This is the life.


End file.
